ANCHORAGE, AK – First National Bank Alaska donated $10,000 to the Armed Services YMCA of Alaska for its work to support military families and service members.
The contribution will help ASYMCA provide programs and services to active-duty military members and support the continued operations of the D.H. Cuddy Welcome Center. Former First National Chairman and President D.H. Cuddy was a World War II veteran. His brother David Cuddy was a member of the Devil’s Brigade and died at the Battle of Anzio in 1944.
The Cuddy Center serves as a gateway to ASYMCA programs and services, including housing and food assistance, wellness programs, childcare and other family assistance initiatives.
“Our men and women in uniform deserve the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive,” said current First National Board Chair and CEO/President Betsy Lawer. “The D.H. Cuddy Welcome Center continues my father and uncle’s legacy by supporting Alaskans in need. First National is proud to contribute to the Armed Services YMCA and support programs for military members.”
The Armed Services YMCA strengthens the lives of military members and their families through programs relevant to the unique challenges of military life. Its focus is to provide needed programs and services for single or married junior enlisted personnel and their family members.
“When our community partners like First National Bank Alaska give such a generous gift to the Armed Services YMCA, it enables us to continue providing essential services. This includes preparing children for winter, offering childcare, ensuring families are well-fed, and helping military members and their families explore Alaska while they are stationed here,” said Sarah Riffer, Executive Director of the Armed Services YMCA. “We are truly humbled by and grateful for the many years of support from First National and the entire Cuddy family. It is an honor to host so many programs at the D.H. Cuddy Welcome Center.”
Alaska’s community bank since 1922, First National Bank Alaska proudly meets the financial needs of Alaskans with ATMs and 28 locations in 19 communities throughout the state and by providing banking services to meet their needs across the nation and around the world.
For more than a century, the bank has been committed to supporting the communities it serves. In 2024, for the eighth consecutive reporting period, over a span of 24 years, First National received an Outstanding Community Reinvestment Act performance rating from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
In 2026, Forbes named First National one of the World’s Top Performing Banks and, for the second year in a row, one of America’s Best Banks, ranking as the second-top bank in the nation. Newsweek recognized the bank as one of the nation’s Best Regional Banks and Credit Unions for the second year in a row. Alaska Business readers voted First National “Best of Alaska Business” in the Best Place to Work category for the 11th year in a row, Best Bank/Credit Union for the sixth consecutive year, Best Customer Service for the third year in a row, Best Corporate Citizen for the fifth time and Best Wealth Management Firm. The bank was voted first place in the “Best of Alaska” Anchorage Daily News awards, ranking in the top three in the Bank/Financial Institutions category for the eighth consecutive year. In 2025, American Banker recognized First National as a “Best Bank to Work For” for the eighth year in a row.
First National Bank Alaska is a Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender, and is recognized as a Minority Depository Institution by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, as it is majority-owned by women.